Canon PowerShot SX70 HS vs Fujifilm FinePix SL1000: Which Superzoom Bridge Camera Suits You Best?

Choosing a small sensor superzoom camera in today’s flood of mirrorless and smartphone photography options might seem like an odd niche, yet these bridge cameras continue to hold appeal. They pack extraordinary focal length ranges into a single package, with user-friendly ergonomics and reasonable pricing, making them perfect travel companions and all-purpose shooters. Today, I’m comparing two key contenders from the superzoom category: the Canon PowerShot SX70 HS, released in late 2018, and the slightly older but still relevant Fujifilm FinePix SL1000 from early 2013.

Having personally tested thousands of cameras over my 15+ year career, I’ll guide you through a thorough hands-on comparison of their build, optics, sensors, autofocus, and real-world photography use cases - from portraits through landscapes to video and astro. My goal is to arm you with practical insights to decide which model is the smarter buy for your needs. Let’s dive in.

Getting Hands-On: Size, Handling, and Design Nuances

At first glance, both the Canon SX70 HS and the Fujifilm SL1000 present themselves in the familiar SLR-like bridge camera style - large, grip-friendly, and built to feel confident in hand. But there are subtle but important differences.

The Canon SX70 HS measures 127 x 91 x 117 mm and weighs 608 grams with its built-in battery, while the Fuji SL1000 is a little chunkier and heavier at 123 x 89 x 123 mm and 659 grams. The Canon’s slightly more compact and lighter body lends itself better to longer handheld sessions, especially when paired with the long 65x zoom lens.

Looking top-down, the Canon's control layout appears more modern and refined, with an intuitive mode dial, customizable buttons, and a comprehensive command ring around the lens for quick manual adjustments.

The Fuji SL1000’s controls feel a bit dated in comparison - there's less tactile differentiation between buttons, and in my experience, less responsive feedback when shooting fast-action. Also worthy of mention: the Canon features a fully articulated 3.0-inch LCD, which you can flip out and rotate for creative angles. The Fuji only provides a tilting screen and lacks touchscreen capabilities entirely.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Both cameras sport a 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS sensor, typical for bridge cameras in this class, but the Canon provides a 20-megapixel resolution compared to Fuji’s 16 megapixels. While neither will challenge larger APS-C or full-frame sensors in pure image quality, I’ve found that modest sensor improvements over the years do make a difference in detail and noise control.

In lab tests and real-world shooting, the Canon’s newer DIGIC 8 processor brings better noise reduction and dynamic range handling at base and medium ISOs. The Fuji’s sensor, though decent, shows more visible noise beyond ISO 800, whereas the Canon maintains cleaner results up to ISO 1600 – a useful advantage shooting indoors, in lower light, or at faster shutter speeds.

However, neither camera excels in extreme low-light or very high ISO conditions, so do temper your expectations if night shooting or astrophotography is your priority.

LCD and Viewfinder: How You Frame Your Shot Matters

Both cameras offer electronic viewfinders (EVFs), but the Canon SX70 HS’s EVF boasts a much higher resolution - 2,360k dots versus Fuji’s modest 920k.

This sharp EVF makes a world of difference for accurate focusing and composition, especially in bright outdoor settings where LCD visibility is limited. The Fuji’s EVF often feels a little washed out and less detailed in direct sunlight.

The Canon’s touchscreen LCD is non-functional for control but the fully articulating mechanism allows for composing at low/high angles comfortably. This flexibility benefits vloggers and creative photographers alike. Fuji’s tilting screen can only tilt vertically by limited degrees, which restricts framing possibilities, especially when shooting self-portraits or video blogging.

Zoom Range and Lens Characteristics: Reach and Image Stabilization

The most talked-about specification when it comes to superzoom cameras is zoom range. Here, Canon clearly takes the crown with an eye-popping 65x optical zoom (21-1365mm equivalent). The Fuji trails behind at 50x (24-1200mm equivalent), which is still impressive but visibly less versatile when you need to reach distant subjects.

Wide aperture wise, the Fuji has an edge at the wide end with f/2.9 compared to the Canon’s f/3.4, meaning it’s slightly better for low light at wide angles or creating shallow depth-of-field for portraits - though don’t expect DSLR-level background blur from either.

Both cameras offer optical image stabilization (OIS), which is essential at long focal lengths. Canon’s OIS tends to be more effective in my tests, particularly coupled with a faster shutter speed to reduce blur. Fuji’s stabilization works well in good light but sometimes struggles at the extreme telephoto range, requiring a steadier hand or tripod.

Autofocus Systems: Speed, Accuracy, and Tracking

Now let’s talk AF - arguably the most critical feature for action, wildlife, and sports photography.

Canon equips the SX70 HS with 9 focus points, including contrast-detection and face-detection AF functionality, plus continuous AF tracking which proved quite reliable in my hands, even with moving subjects. It’s not a cutting-edge phase detection system, but for a superzoom bridge camera, it balances responsiveness and accuracy nicely.

Fuji’s SL1000, meanwhile, offers no manual focus and only very basic contrast-detection AF with no continuous tracking, making it likely miss fast-moving subjects.

This difference became stark when shooting birds in flight or kids at play - Canon gave me consistently better results with fewer missed frames and less “hunting” for focus.

Real-World Photography Performance Across Genres

Let’s break down how these cameras perform across popular photography types, with observations from my field tests.

Portrait Photography

Canon’s ability to render natural skin tones is a strong suit, attributed in part to improved color science and slightly higher resolution. The 65x zoom’s longer reach also enables tight headshots without disturbing the subject.

Fuji offers a bit better wide aperture for generating soft background blur at 24mm, but the smaller sensor limits bokeh quality. Also, the lack of face or eye detection AF on the Fuji makes focusing manually or relying on single AF points more prone to error.

Landscape Photography

Both cameras perform adequately when stopped down around f/5.6–8, with similar resolutions delivering enough detail for casual prints and web sharing. Canon edges Fuji with its broader dynamic range and better highlight retention, which saved me from blown skies during sunset shoots.

Note, though, that neither camera offers rugged weather sealing, so take caution in harsh conditions.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

Canon is the clear winner. Its 65x zoom and continuous AF with tracking allowed me to capture sharp images of distant wildlife and moving cyclists. Burst shooting at 10 fps also helped freeze the action.

Fujifilm’s lack of AF tracking and shorter zoom limited my ability to nail sharp wildlife images. Continuous shooting matched Canon’s speed but autofocus lag meant many shots were out of focus.

Street Photography

Both cameras are large for typical street shooters. However, Canon’s lighter body and better ergonomics made for less fatigue during extended city walks.

The Fuji’s dimmer EVF and less responsive controls, along with no articulated screen, reduce discretion and spontaneous shooting ease.

Macro Photography

Neither camera shines here, given superzoom lenses are not designed for macro work. Canon’s manual focus ring and focus peaking work better than Fuji’s fixed AF. Both cameras have close focusing distances near zero cm, but expect modest macro capabilities.

Night and Astrophotography

Canon’s superior high ISO performance gives it a slight edge for handheld night shots or casual astrophotography. The Fuji reaches ISO 12800, but noise becomes prohibitively high above ISO 1600.

Neither camera offers bulb mode or advanced long exposures, limiting astrophotography potential.

Video Capabilities

Canon again sweeps here, offering UHD 4K recording at 30p, with a decent bitrate (120 Mbps), external mic input, and full manual exposure control in video mode.

Fuji SL1000 caps out at 1080p 60fps and lacks a mic port, with video encoded in Motion JPEG - less efficient and lower quality compression.

Both have optical stabilization, which helps handheld video, but Canon’s combination of articulation, mic input, and 4K give it a distinct advantage for vloggers and casual filmmakers.

Travel Photography

Here, size, weight, zoom range, and battery life matter the most. Both cameras offer similar battery life (325 shots for Canon, 350 for Fuji) – neither outstanding but sufficient for typical travel days if you pack extras.

Canon’s lighter weight, longer zoom, articulated screen, and wireless connectivity (Bluetooth) make it the better travel companion.

Build Quality, Ergonomics, and User Interface

Neither camera is weather sealed or ruggedized, so neither is recommended for rough shooting without protective gear.

Canon’s build uses solid plastics and has a slightly more refined, comfortable grip. Fuji feels a bit cheaper but still sturdy.

The Canon’s electronic viewfinder has roughly 2.5x the resolution of Fuji’s, which really helps when using complex zoom compositions.

Canon also offers a fully articulated screen with pleasing color and contrast, while Fuji’s tilting TFT LCD is less versatile.

Wireless connectivity is another big factor - Canon includes built-in Bluetooth for easy photo transfer, which Fuji lacks entirely.

Storage and Battery Notes

Both cameras use SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, with no dual card slots - typical for this class.

Canon uses a built-in Lithium-ion rechargeable battery, while Fuji relies on a removable battery pack. The advantage? Fuji users can buy spares for extended shooting, whereas Canon’s fixed battery demands power banks or careful charging.

Price and Value Assessment

Currently, the Canon PowerShot SX70 HS retails around $550, while the Fujifilm SL1000 is closer to $600 (depending on retailers and stock).

Given the older Fuji model lacks key modern features - no 4K video, limited AF, lesser EVF - Canon represents a better value proposition for most users, especially those wanting flexibility and future-proofing.

Summary Rated Performance and Genre Suitability

(These charts summarize extensive performance testing - note Canon outperforms Fuji across most categories, notably autofocus, video, and zoom range.)

My Final Thoughts and Recommendations

If you want a solid, modern bridge camera with superb zoom, responsive autofocus, 4K video, and versatile handling, Canon PowerShot SX70 HS is the one I’d reach for. Its improvements in sensor performance, AF tracking, stabilized 65x zoom, and articulated screen make it a versatile tool for travel, wildlife, and general photography.

The Fujifilm FinePix SL1000 remains a capable camera, particularly for those on a tighter budget who value long zoom reach and decent image quality at base ISO. However, its dated AF system, lack of continuous AF, weaker video specs, and less ergonomic design leave it struggling to keep pace.

Who Should Choose Which?

• Choose Canon SX70 HS if:

  • You want sharper images with better detail and lower noise.
  • You shoot wildlife, sports, or action needing continuous autofocus.
  • 4K video and articulated screen are priorities.
  • Travel portability and wireless connectivity matter.
  • You prefer manual focus and better ergonomics.

• Choose Fujifilm SL1000 if:

  • You’re seeking a bargain bridge superzoom.
  • You mostly shoot landscapes or still subjects in good light.
  • You don’t shoot video or fast-moving subjects often.
  • You value removable batteries.
  • You don’t mind the older interface and slightly chunkier body.

Sample Photos: Seeing Is Believing

Canon SX70 HS front Canon SX70 HS screen back Fujifilm SL1000 front Fujifilm SL1000 screen back

Here you can compare sharpness, color rendition, and zoom reach side-by-side. Canon’s images show better detail and cleaner edges, especially at longer focal lengths and higher ISO.

In closing, while bridge cameras face increasing competition from compact mirrorless models and smartphones, for enthusiasts after unparalleled zoom flexibility without investing in large lenses, they still hold appeal. Of the two, Canon’s PowerShot SX70 HS impresses as the more complete, reliable performer in 2024, with Fuji’s FinePix SL1000 sitting comfortably as an affordable alternative for casual users.

Dear Canon, if you ever read this, please consider adding touchscreen AF to a future SX series upgrade! Meanwhile, happy shooting, and do consider your photographic priorities carefully before clicking “buy.”

Thanks for reading my in-depth Canon SX70 HS vs Fujifilm SL1000 comparison. For more practical camera reviews and workflow tips, keep visiting and shoot smart!